Page 19 - Golf Champion - June 2020

outdoors in a healthy and responsible manner.” outdoors with family and friends, which is needed
now more than ever,” says Greg McLaughlin, CEO of
This industry-wide initiative has been primarily fo- World Golf Foundation. “It is a sport that naturally
cused on ensuring golf courses that have remained lends itself to social distancing and the ‘Back2Golf’

operational or will reopen soon, do so responsibly guidelines. We greatly appreciate the collaboration
to protect golfers, employees and all members of between all the allied golf organizations. It repre-
the community. Each organization has distributed sents another example of our industry coming to-
“Back2Golf Guidelines” and the corresponding “Op- gether for the greater good as our game has done so

erations Playbook” to its respective audiences to many times before.”
implement and administer. Updates will be made
as interim guidance on COVID-19 is issued by the For more information, please visit www.wearegolf.
CDC. org/back2golf.

“The importance of social distancing and respon- About WE ARE GOLF
sible behavior during this pandemic has become a Administered by the World Golf Foundation as a
part of everyone’s daily life,” says Seth Waugh, CEO coalition of golf’s leading organizations, WE ARE

of PGA of America, whose team took a leadership GOLF was established to unite the industry and
role in developing Back2Golf. “Reopening golf re- advocate in the game’s best interests. Through this
sponsibly under strict social distancing practices is platform, WE ARE GOLF promotes engagement and
something we can all unify behind. While we recog- inclusivity among the sport’s participants, while en-

nize there is no perfect solution and various areas suring the health and prosperity of the $84 billion
of the country will progress in these phases at a dif- golf industry and the more than two million jobs
ferent pace, it is imperative that we reopen golf in a are protected. Participating partners include PGA
way that prioritizes the health and well being of the of America, USGA, PGA TOUR, LPGA, GCSAA, NG-

entire golf community.” COA and CMAA.

Back2Golf is driven by key stakeholders of WE ARE PGA of America
GOLF, a division of the World Golf Foundation cre- The PGA of America is one of the world’s largest

ated in 2010 to spearhead initiatives on behalf of sports organizations, with 29,000 professionals who
the game. Organizations include PGA of America, daily work to grow interest and participation in the
USGA, PGA TOUR, LPGA, Golf Course Superinten- game of golf.
dents Association of America (GCSAA), National

Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), and USGA
Club Management Association of America (CMAA), Founded in 1894, the USGA is a nonprofit organiza-
among others. tion that celebrates, serves and advances the game
of golf, while conducting many of golf’s premier

“Golf inherently provides many health and fitness professional and amateur championships, includ-
benefits, including the opportunity to spend time ing the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open.

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